Category: Obama

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Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics

McCain Bipartisanship vs. Obama Bipartisanship

[digg-reddit-me]McCain has branded himself “The Original Maverick”. He bases this assertion of his brand on the numerous times he has gone against his party and, in another branding phrase, “Put Country First.” He and his surrogates have asked constantly – and some more independent-minded writers have also asked – “When has Obama challenged his party in a way similar to McCain?” The implication, and sometimes the outright attack, is that Obama is unable or unwilling to challenge the Democratic party in the same way McCain is willing to challenge the Republican party. A good example of this is in Rick Warren’s questions to McCain and Obama at the Saddleback forum. Warren asked McCain:

John, you know that a lot of good legislation dies because of partisan politics, and party loyalty keeps people from really getting forward on putting America’s best first. Can you give me an example of where you led against your party’s interests — oh, this is hard — (LAUGHTER) — and really, maybe against your own best interests for the good of America?

For John McCain, the answers to this question are clear – he stood against his party on the issue of torture (although he later qualified his initial opposition to torturing); he stood against his party on the issue of global warming; he challenged the Bush administration on how they were handling the Iraq war; he stood against his party on Bush’s tax cuts (although he again completely reversed positions on this issue); he stood against the base of his party on the issue of immigration; and he stood against his party on the issue of campaign finance reform. ((I have left out McCain’s Gang of Fourteen compromise which secured the appointments of Roberts and Alito – which is a rare case of McCain’s actual bipartisanship. However, it is worth noting that McCain’s bipartisanship in this instance did not actually result in a compromise for the Republicans – but in a total victory for them.))

In all of these cases, McCain stood against his party and with the Democrats. His positions were not “bi-partisan” – they were examples of a Republican acknowledging his party had the wrong position.

He went against his party’s interests because he clearly believed his party had the wrong position for America. It is also worth noting that the Republican party on all of these issues had blatantly wrong and unserious positions. Defending torture? Denying global warming despite the widespread consensus of scientists? Rick Warren’s question presumes that Republicans and Democrats are both equally wrong about the issues – and that we can get past this impasse by compromising. But that is not, in fact, the situation. He didn’t compromise and wasn’t bipartisan – he took the side of his political opponents because his party had taken an untenable position. That takes a measure of courage, but to demand Obama take stands against his party, you first have to identify similar no-brainer issues on which the Democratic party has taken a side. Obama instead is faulted for partisanship, in part, for having the same position on these issues as McCain. McCain, for coming to the same conclusions, is a maverick. What few acknowledge is that on the issues on which McCain has stood against his party, they have clearly been in the wrong.

The wedge issues of the 1990s divided the country between conservatives and liberals who competing ideologies – abortion, gun rights, affirmative action, welfare, homosexuality ((And government spending fits in here too, but not as neatly, so I will reserve this issue.)) – these were issues in which both sides had entrenched positions – and on which the country was in broad and deep disagreement. These are issues on which bipartisanship and moderation and federalism are the only solutions – because to legislate either side would leave half of the population in extremely strong disagreement. And it is worth noting that on these issues Obama has embraced bipartisanship – which he understands to mean finding goals both sides agree on related to these issues (from his speech in Denver):

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.

(APPLAUSE)

The — the reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.

(APPLAUSE)

I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in a hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, passions may fly on immigration, but I don’t know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers.

McCain has rejected bipartisanship on these issues in his presidential campaign – embracing a hard right position on abortion and an enforcement first approach to immigration. His examples of embracing “bipartisanship” are really just examples of him taking the Democratic position.

It’s worth noting in the days ahead how differently these two men define bipartisanship. Obama defines it as working with people you disagree with to find common goals; McCain defines it as standing with the Democrats when he can they are clearly in the right.

Continue reading “McCain Bipartisanship vs. Obama Bipartisanship”
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Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics Videos

McCain: Insulting the Voters’ Intelligence

[digg-reddit-me]McCain’s new ad:

Edit: McCain took down the ad from his YouTube page, but it is now posted on some others, so I have replaced the link to the ad in McCain’s YouTube with this copy of it.

The comments it is based on:

In Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver, he predicted this type of attack:

If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.

The question is: Are the American people dumb enough to fall for it?

And it’s far from the first time he has.

Continue reading “McCain: Insulting the Voters’ Intelligence”
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Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics

Inviting America to Attack John McCain’s Character

Rick Davis, a top McCain adviser and longtime confidante, revealed the McCain strategy for the coming weeks in a comment last week:

This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.

This strategy has been clear for some time – as McCain sought to frame every question of issues as one of character, and as McCain surrogates have relentlessly and viciously attacked Obama’s character.

For example, when discussing Obama’s plan for Iraq, McCain, found it difficult to defend his position as the Iraqi government and the Bush administration moved towards Obama’s position. Instead of defending his plans, he chose to attack Obama’s character and call into question Obama’s patriotism:

It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.

Because his opponent disagreed with him on a policy issue, he called him a traitor.

When McCain chose to focus on Obama’s economic record, again, he4 was unable to defend his own plans or records, so he made the false claim that Obama was planning on raising “your” taxes – when in fact Obama’s plan would cut taxes more than McCain’s would for 90% of Americans – and attempted to trivialize Obama’s popularity as mere “celebrity.” Rather than disagreeing with Obama’s proposals, McCain chose to use them to characterize Obama as a lightweight and to mock him.

When Obama was unable to visit soldiers in Germany during his overseas trip, McCain claimed that Obama refused to go without the media – a claim that the members of the media traveling with Obama had personal knowledge was false.

McCain has run ads including carefully edited clips of Obama mocking the views of those who suggest he is messianic to suggest that Obama thinks of himself as the messiah.

Repeatedly, McCain has sought to attack Obama’s character rather than his plans – while Obama himself has mainly refrained from attacking McCain personally.

Even so, during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Obama offered a truce:

[I]n the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes, because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and each other’s patriotism.

(APPLAUSE)

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain.

McCain has refused to accept this true. So if McCain wants this election to be about character, then so be it.

If McCain wants the election to be about character, then he is inviting everyone to attack his character. Not the smartest decision for the guy who a Republican Senator said tried to strangle someone he was negotiating with on a diplomatic mission.

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Election 2008 McCain Obama Videos

Now Is the Time to Give…

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This is an ad that could use some wide circulation. Every $5.01 you give helps. If you believe this election is important (here are some reasons to think it is), then it’s worth donating a few dollars. With John McCain getting an infusion of public cash and the Republican National Committee far outraising the Democratic National Committee, Obama is now evenly matched with McCain.

We need Obama to be able to run a 50-state campaign. We need him to win. To protect the internet, to prevent an(other) unnecessary war.

A few days ago, I received a mailing from the Obama campaign that came in an envelope that read:

It will only be different if we make it so.

Now is the time to give. Before it’s too late.

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Election 2008 Foreign Policy Obama Politics Videos

A Country Unlike Any Other

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Drudge, that driver of all news stories, is headlining a new BBC poll showing that the world, overwhelmingly supports Obama. This has been clear for some time, but it’s a positive development if Drudge is focusing on it.

The Indian author and former top United Nations official Shashi Tharoor ((Tharoor came in second in straw polls deciding who should replace Kofi Annan as Secretary-General.)) tried to explain why the world wants Obama several months ago in a talk he gave about America’s image in the world.

Tharoor’s thesis is that there are two main “stories” of America told around the world – that of the powerful bully that is uncouth and rough and forces it’s way; and that of the open, pluralistic society where anyone can make something of themselves. Obama clearly represents this second story – and after 8 years of America playing into all the stereotypes of the first story, Tharoor thinks it’s time for a change:

[This is an excerpt. For the complete video, go to Fora.tv.]

At the end of this clip, he quotes from this article by Andrew Sullivan from the Atlantic last year, my favorite excerpts of which are here.

Continue reading “A Country Unlike Any Other”
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Election 2008 Foreign Policy McCain National Security Obama Politics The War on Terrorism

Will Bin Laden Endorse McCain?

[digg-reddit-me]Do you remember when the Bin Laden tape in 2004 was spun by Fox News and the right-wing as a Bin Laden endorsement of John Kerry?

If – as Charlie Black, a top Washington lobbyist unti McCain put him on his payroll, admitted – it is the conventional wisdom that a terrorist attack before the election would “be a big advantage” for McCain in the election and help get him elected…

And as McCain’s policies of military over-extension, fiscal irresponsibility, and continued occupation and war in the Middle East fit nicely into Al Qaeda’s master plan…

Wouldn’t that logically make any terrorist attack on American soil, or any surprise videos putting Bin Laden front-and-center, an effective endorsement of McCain?

Just asking…

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Domestic issues Election 2008 Libertarianism National Security Obama Political Philosophy Videos

Jesse Ventura vs. The Black Swan

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[Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler and governor of Minnesota, speaking at Ron Paul’s Liberty Rally in Minneapolis last week. For the rest of this Jesse Ventura’s speech, check out Fora.tv.]

You certainly didn’t see this in the mainstream media.

I don’t agree with Ventura’s points completely – but he makes a very compelling case for libertarianism. He does it by avoiding subtlety and going for the jugular – which is what you’d expect of gladiators in either politics or professional wrestling.

He speaks to the tremendous anger at our current political and economic system – the anger tapped by Ron Paul in his presidential run.

Barack Obama stands for the hope that our current political and economic system does not need to be overthrown in a revolution, but instead can be ameliorated through gradual and focused change. For example, if the middle class is being squeezed – then give them tax cuts, and ensure that they can get health insurance, and attempt to create new green collar jobs in America.

Ron Paul (and Jesse Ventura) both stand for the anger and revolutionary impulse to overthrow the existing order. Revolution is a word both Ron Paul and Jesse Ventura use in their respective books prescribing what we need to do. Ron Paul for example preaches the reinstitution of the gold standard, the abolishment of the Federal Reserve, and other revolutionary measures. These men have little time for such tinkering as Barack Obama proposes within our current system. As such, they see him and John McCain as equally part of the problem.

That’s where I have to part ways with these two men. I admire them and their passion. But I mistrust any ideology to give me all the answers. As for tinkering – I think, in many ways, that is the best we can do.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a scholar who predicted the latest financial crisis, speaks of “tinkering” as the ideal form of change because we shouldn’t “disturb complicated systems that have been around for a very long time [as w]e don’t understand their logic.” As Brian Appleyard described Taleb’s views in the Sunday Times:

Taleb believes in tinkering – it was to be the title of his next book. Trial and error will save us from ourselves because they capture benign black swans. Look at the three big inventions of our time: lasers, computers and the internet. They were all produced by tinkering and none of them ended up doing what their inventors intended them to do. All were black swans. The big hope for the world is that, as we tinker, we have a capacity for choosing the best outcomes.

“We have the ability to identify our mistakes eventually better than average; that’s what saves us.” We choose the iPod over the Walkman. Medicine improved exponentially when the tinkering barber surgeons took over from the high theorists. They just went with what worked, irrespective of why it worked. Our sense of the good tinker is not infallible, but it might be just enough to turn away from the apocalypse that now threatens Extremistan.

By this logic – revolution is dangerous because it fully commits us to a change, a change which can result in enormous negative consequences. The American Revolution was a kind of beneficial black swan – that ended up producing a unique, stable, and free form of government. The French Revolution on the other hand unleashed a Reign of Terror and totalitarianism – all justified with the same values as the American Revolution. Tinkering allows us to experiment and see what works best and to adopt those measures that work best. It is precisely this determination to tinker that imbues Obama’s plans – from health care to energy policy to education. It’s why Obama’s health care plan works with the current system, creating incentives to fill gaps, rather than mandating an overhaul as the Clintons attempted in 1992 or attempting to push everyone out of the current system as McCain proposes now.

I admire Jesse Ventura for his inspiring rhetoric – and we always need scourges who point out how our society fails to live up to it’s ideals. But if there is anything redeemable in America, if there is any hope that through some determined tinkering we might make things better, then revolution is not yet the answer. Barack Obama and John McCain are not equally part of the problem. Obama seeks to tinker with our economy and government to protect the middle class and to soften the jarring forces of globalization; John McCain seeks to double down on Bush’s policies based on an ideological faith that markets will, on their own, produce goodness and light.  Although Jesse Ventura doesn’t know it, he’s fighting the Black Swan – that knowledge that we do not understand the world as well as we think we do, and revolutions fail far more often than they succeed. That’s why we need a tinkerer in the White House come January 2009 – and not yet another ideologue.

Continue reading “Jesse Ventura vs. The Black Swan”
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Domestic issues Economics Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics

Obama v. McCain on Health Care

Obama sees his health care plan as part of an attempt to soften the effects of globalization.

His plan calls for every American who wants to preserve their health insurance plan to be able to keep it. His plan even includes incentives that reward employers that do provide health insurance and penalizes employers that do not (with exceptions for small businesses.) In addition to this, Obama’s plan will open up the government health care plan used by members of Congress to allow consumers – in a free market – to opt into it. Obama’s plan is designed to create incentives within our current system to gradually close the huge holes in insurance coverage and over time bring down costs. It’s a conservative plan, in the best sense of that word.

John McCain’s health care plan is radical. McCain says he wants to:

Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage

In other words, McCain wants employers to stop providing health insurance coverage. He proposes to include the cost of health care in each employee’s taxable income – and to offset this by offering a $2,500.00 tax rebate for individuals and $5,000.00 for families. This isn’t enough to purchase health insurance coverage in many states, so in addition, McCain proposes to effectively deregulate the insurance market and allow insurance to be sold across state lines – eliminating the consumer protections states provide, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

The theory behind the McCain plan is that we already have too much health insurance coverage and are going to the doctor too often because we don’t have to pay every time we do. So he proposes that every individual – or family – purchase individual or family health insurance – a radical change, and one that places much greater power in the hands of the insurance industry. As a matter of fact, it would be accurate to say it is exactly what the health insurance industry is asking for.

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Domestic issues Economics Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics Videos

McCain Ad Echoes Smear Emails

[digg-reddit-me]Is it just me, or is it a bit eerie how closely McCain’s ad (just released today) mirrors the Obama smear email that started going around a few days ago – based on it’s earliest posting on the internet?

Breakdown of the Ad

It starts with the “Celebrity” attack that worked so well a few weeks ago.

This time, the image of the Obama crowds with blue banners morphs into old white men with a red Capitol Building in the background. The image is reminiscent of Communist propaganda posters of the 1940s or 1950s. Over this image, and the text appears – “Old ideas” while the narrator intones: “Old ideas masquerading as change.” This is the same charge a co-worker of mine made more crudely, and the right-wing talk radio bloviators make repeatedly day after day – Obama is just the same old liberal ideas packaged with a brown face and nice words.

Next in the ad, the actual claims come:

“Obama and his liberal allies promise higher taxes on your income.”

Not true if you’re making less than $250,000 a year. In fact, if you make less than $111,000 Obama promises higher tax cuts than McCain does – because he believe the middle class has been hurting in the Bush economy. Obama is actually promising higher tax cuts for 90% of Americans than McCain is – so McCain’s ad is deliberately misleading those 90%. McCain has made this claim in several of his ads before – and continues to despite it’s inaccuracy.

“Your life savings.”

Even less true than the claim above. Obama does not plan on changing the law to further tax life savings – but he does propose this measure to encourage individuals and families to save:

Obama will ensure savings incentives are fair to all workers by creating a generous savings match for low and middle-income Americans. His plan will match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn less than $75,000.

“Your electric bill.”

Partially true for both McCain and Obama. This ad again directly echoes the smear email by saving that Obama plans on taxing your “electric bill”.  The only “tax” that this could be referring to is the “cap-and-trade system” proposed by both McCain and Obama which would impose a cost on businesses’ carbon emissions. Although neither McCain nor Obama call these costs “taxes” they can reasonably be called that. Further, Obama, though not McCain, plans to offset any potential increase in costs for consumers with a refund from a windfall profits tax.

“They oppose offshore drilling.”

False. Obama does not oppose offshore drilling – but he does not believe the small amount of oil we have in those few protected areas off of our coasts will significantly effect either gas prices or our dependence on foreign oil. As he has been saying for over a month, he is open to offshore drilling – but only as part of a package that tackles the real issues. Since the 1970s, McCain and other Congresspeople have been saying that we need to end our reliance on foreign oil – and they have done nothing to accomplish that. Obama believes we need to create incentives and push for federal funding in concert with market forces to establish a green energy industry in America. This is the only solution that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil. “Drill, baby, drill” is a chant for morons.

“It’s not change. It’s more of the same. Obama and his liberal allies: Not Ready to Lead.”

The final claim is obviously meant to echo the Democratic attacks on McCain – pointing out that he supported Bush more than 90% of the time, professed his fealty to Bush on all “transcendent issues”, and advocates doubling down on Bush’s disasterous economic and foreign policies. McCain is charging that Obama does not offer anything new – which is a hard charge to rebut because while Obama claims that McCain and Bush have similar economic and foreign policies – a position that can be checked – McCain is not specifically linking Obama to anyone. What is true is that Obama is supporting an emerging Democratic consensus on a number of issues – a consensus that has only gradually emerged as the Bush administration exacerbated long-term trends that are destabilizing the country. In addition, Obama’s campaign does have some new ideas – with Samantha Power, Lawrence Lessig, and Cass Sunstein acting as key advisors to the campaign, and influencing his foreign and economic policies.

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Domestic issues Economics Election 2008 McCain Obama Politics

Lies About Obama’s Tax Plans

[digg-reddit-me]I just received another one of those mass emails being used to spread lies about Obama. I’ve interspersed the text of it with data contradicting the claims:

INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON TAXES

Spread the word…..

This is something you should be
aware of so you don’t get blind-sided.
This is really going to catch a lot
of families off guard. It should
make you worry.

Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000
per home (couples) McCain does not
propose any change in existing
home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales

How does this affect you?
If you sell your home and make a profit, you  will pay 28% of your gain on taxes.
If you are heading toward retirement
and would like to down-size your
home or move into a retirement
community, 28% of the money you
make from your home will go to taxes. This  proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income  from their homes as part of their retirement income.

This claim about Obama taxing profits on home sales comes from nowhere. Any gains on the sale of one’s principal residence is not taxed under section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code. Neither McCain nor Obama has proposed to amend this section.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you?
If you have any money invested in stock
market, IRA, mutual funds,
college funds, life insurance, retirement  accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now  be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama become president.
The experts predict that ‘higher
tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet  do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.

As for Capital Gains taxes in general, Obama is proposing to raise the capital gains tax rate from 15 percent to 20 percent for those American families making more than $250,000.00 per year or singles making over $200,000.00 per year. Those families or singles making less than these respective amounts will not have a tax increase. Further, IRAs and college funds are exempt from taxation entirely – and neither candidate is proposing to change this.

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K – tax $4,500
Single making 50K – tax $12,500
Single making 75K – tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K – tax $18,750
Married making 125K – tax $31,250

OBAMA
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K – tax $8,400
Single making 50K – tax $14,000
Single making 75K – tax $23,250
Married making 60K – tax $16,800
Married making 75K – tax $21,000
Married making 125K – tax $38,750

Under Obama your taxes will
more than double!
How does this affect you? No explanation needed. This is pretty  straight forward.

This claim is worse than all those above – because Obama is actually proposing to lower taxes for all of these groups listed. Here’s a site which provides an Obama tax cut calculator. I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but it seems to be based on the Tax Policy Institute’s analysis of both candidates’ plans. The email also inaccurates states that Obama plans to revert to “pre-Bush tax cuts” which is only true for those making over $250,000.00. As Obama said in his speech on Thursday night:

I will cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

Sarah Palin in her speech this past Wednesday made the same claim the Republicans keep making:

Taxes are too high, and he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan. And let me be specific: The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, and raise payroll taxes, and raise investment income taxes, and raise the death tax, and raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.

As Politifact.com writes – Palin’s claims are deliberately misleading. This email is worse than misleading – it is entirely fase.

This little list conveniently does not include those making over $125,000.00. It is this group of people – especially those making over $250,000.00, and even more, those making over a million dollars a year – to whom the profits of the past eight years has gone. The economy has been growing for eight years while the income of those in the middle class has decreased by approximately $2,000.00 when accounting for inflation since Bush took office.

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

How does this affect you? Many families have lost businesses,  farms and ranches, and homes that have been in their families  for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax.
Those willing their assets to loved
ones will not only lose them to
these taxes.

As for this section – again, falsehoods galore. According to FactCheck.org:

The claim that Obama proposes to “restore the inheritance tax” is also false, as are the claims that McCain would impose zero tax and that Bush “repealed” it. McCain and Obama both would retain a reduced version of the estate tax, as it is correctly called, though McCain would reduce it by more.

The tax now falls only on estates valued at more than $2 million (effectively $4 million for couples able to set up the required legal and financial arrangements). It reaches a maximum rate of 45 percent on amounts more than that. It was not repealed, but it is set to expire temporarily in 2010, then return in 2011, when it would apply to estates valued at more than $1 million ($2 million for couples), with the maximum rate rising to 55 percent.

Obama has proposed to apply the tax only to estates valued at more than $3.5 million ($7 million for couples), holding the maximum rate at 45 percent. McCain would apply it to estates worth more than $5 million ($10 million for couples), with a maximum rate of 15 percent.

Again – this email is counting on people accepting its’ allegations without checking them and hoping that stereotypes about liberals are strong enough that people will accept these charges.

NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA

* New government taxes proposed on
homes that are more than
2400 square feet

* New gasoline taxes (as if
gas weren’t high enough already)

* New taxes on natural resources
consumption (heating
gas, water, electricity)

* New taxes on retirement accounts
and last but not least….

This section is even more fanciful than the rest. Obama has never proposed taxes on water. He isn’t proposing to increase gasoline taxes. He isn’t proposing to increase taxes on retirement accounts. The taxes on homes with more than 2400 square feet – neither the number nor general idea can be found anywhere aside from in references to this email.

The one thing that is partially true is that Obama – and McCain – are proposing to create a “cap-and-trade system” which would impose a cost on businesses’ carbon emissions. Although neither McCain nor Obama call these costs “taxes” they can reasonably be called that. Further, Obama, though not McCain, plans to offset any potential increase in costs for consumers with a refund from a windfall profits tax.

* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same  level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

This final claim is way over-the-top. Obama’s plan calls for every American who wants to preserve their health insurance plan to be able to keep it. His plan even includes incentives that reward employers that do provide health insurance and penalizes employers that do not (with exceptions for small businesses.) In addition to this, Obama’s plan will open up the government health care plan used by members of Congress to allow consumers – in a free market – to opt into it. Obama’s plan is designed to create incentives within our current system to gradually close the huge holes in insurance coverage and over time bring down costs. It’s a conservative plan, in the best sense of that word.

John McCain’s health care plan is radical. McCain says he wants to:

Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage

In other words, McCain wants employers to stop providing health insurance coverage. He proposes to include the cost of health care in each employee’s taxable income – and to offset this by offering a $2,500.00 tax rebate for individuals and $5,000.00 for families. This isn’t enough to purchase health insurance coverage in many states, so in addition, McCain proposes to effectively deregulate the insurance market and allow insurance to be sold across state lines – eliminating the consumer protections states provide, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

The theory behind the McCain plan is that we already have too much health insurance coverage and are going to the doctor too often because we don’t have to pay every time we do. So he proposes that every individual – or family – purchase individual or family health insurance – a radical change, and one that places much greater power in the hands of the insurance industry. As a matter of fact, it would be accurate to say it is exactly what the health insurance industry is asking for.

Conclusion

So, there we have it. An email full of lies deliberately designed to mislead those Obama’s plans are designed to help. Obama’s plans – which are the fruit of a kind of Democratic consensus that has emerged in the past ten years on how to deal with the destabilization that has come from globalization. Obama is asking that those individuals who have gained the most from our society and economy should give a bit more in this time of need. All McCain and Palin and the Republicans offer is more tax cuts for the richest indivudals and the biggest corporations (tax cuts that go further than Bush’s tax cuts in favoring the wealthy) – for which their only defense is to make the false claim that Obama is planning on raising everyone’s taxes.

Continue reading “Lies About Obama’s Tax Plans”